The Judaic Heritage Society has dedicated its Annual Award Medal to Raoul Wallenberg whose single-handed efforts during World War II saved tens of thousands of Jews from the Nazi death machine in Hungary. Robert Weber, president of the Society, who made the announcement of the award, said that “While world leaders made speeches, Wallenberg, a Swedish Christian, took individual action. He showed the world that one man can make a difference.”
Wallenberg disappeared in Budapest on January 17, 1945, in the custody of two Russian officers. Over the years since then, the Soviet authorities have alternately denied all know ledge of Wallenberg or claimed that he was no longer alive. The growing interest in the fate of Wallenberg culminated last months in the convening of an international conference in Sweden. The conference heard new evidence from a series of witnesses reporting sightings of Wallenberg in the 1950s and 1960s, including extensive details about his detention in the Soviet Union. The conference passed a unanimous resolution declaring its belief that the Swedish diplomat is still alive.
The Raoul Wallenberg Award Medal is sculpted by noted artist Karen Worth from a design by Oldrich Teply. The medal is I 1/2-inches in diameter. It is issued in four limited editions; bronze 5,000 medals; silver-plated 2,500 medals; solid sterling silver 1,000 medals; solid 14 karat gold 120 medals. Bronze medals are $15 each, silver-plated,$25, solid sterling silver, $95, solid 14 karat gold, $900. Each medal is accompanied by a complimentary lucite display stand.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
